1. Field of the Art
The present application relates generally to tactical vests, and more particularly to release mechanisms for body armor and bulletproof vests.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Bulletproof vests, body armor, flak jackets, and other ballistic resistant garments have become commonplace equipment in law enforcement and in many advanced militaries of the world. Such garments prevent small arms fire from piercing through and harming the wearer. A wearer in an armed conflict has a tactical advantage over those who do not wear such garments because the wearer is shielded from the effects of many types of common weapons.
Ballistic resistant vests are typically made of a woven fabric shell and have layers of anti-ballistic materials such as Du Pont, Inc.'s Kevlar® material, armor panels, and stab-resistant materials. Nylon webbing and other fabrics comprise much of the rest of the vests.
Many ballistic resistant garments typically envelop the torso so as to protect vital body organs. Because such ballistic resistant garments often do not cover the arms, they are sometimes referred to as vests. The term “vest” or “tactical vest” is used herein to describe all ballistic resistant garments that shield at least a portion of a wearer's torso, including those garments with and without sleeves, bottoms, etc.
Tactical vests often have many pockets, loops, and attachment points for holding armor plates or supplies. The more armor and supplies that are carried, the more a vest is weighted down. Some modern vests weigh approximately 30 pounds each. This can increase the physical demands on the wearer.
If a wearer in the field is injured or falls into water, it can be a matter or life and death to move the person to safety. It may be necessary to remove the wearer's tactical vest in order to move him or her. Likewise, it may be necessary to remove the wearer's tactical vest in order to administer first aid. Logically, being able to remove the wearer's tactical vest quickly and without further injuring a person can be very important.
Many currently-fielded tactical vests in the U.S. military provide an emergency release system. A requirement by the military is that the release system needs to allow for single hand, one-step operation. Cable-pull systems have been devised for such vests. To activate the cable-pull system, a person pulls and pulls feet of cable from the vest. As the cable is pulled, it unwinds itself from series of loops and holes that hold the parts of the vest together. After pulling the emergency release cable of a prior art vest, it is not uncommon to have pulled several feet of cable out of the vest. The cable can be a trip hazard if left on the floor.
After pulling the cable from a vest, the cable needs to be rethreaded through the loops and holes of the various panels of the vest to reassemble the tactical vest for further use. Currently fielded systems have been found to take about 9-30 minutes to reassemble a vest once its emergency release has been deployed.
The inventor has determined a need in the art for an alternate quick release mechanism for body armor or other tactical vests.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.